TUC analysis of gender pay gap suggests women 'work for free for two months'

09 Mar 2018

A Trades Union Congress (TUC) analysis of gender pay inequality has suggested that, on average, women have to wait 67 days before they get paid, when compared to the average man.

The TUC data was published on Women’s Pay Day – the day when the average female worker ‘starts to be paid the same rate’ as the average male employee, said the organisation.

The analysis found that, in some industries, large pay discrepancies exist: in education, the current gender pay gap is 26.5%; in health and social work, the gender pay gap is 18.9%; and in finance and insurance, the gender pay gap is 35.6% - constituting one of the biggest differences.

The current average gender pay gap for full-time and part-time employees in the UK stands at 18.4%, the TUC stated.

New rules introduced from 6 April 2017 mean that large businesses are required by law to publish their gender pay gap figures on their website. Voluntary and private sector employers with 250 employees or more must publish their figures by 4 April 2018. Public sector employers must publish their figures by 30 March 2018.

TUC General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: ‘Companies publishing information on their gender pay gaps is a small step in the right direction, but it’s nowhere near enough. Women in the UK will only start to get paid properly when we have better-paid part-time and flexible jobs. And higher wages in key sectors like social care.’